Podcasts have potential to facilitate global communication about palliative care

A new study conducted by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool (MCPCIL) shows the positive impact and reach podcasts can have on palliative care globally.

MCPCIL was formed in 2004 and is a partnership between the University of Liverpool, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and the national charity Marie Curie, and is based with the University's Institute of Translational Medicine.

Podcasts (downloadable online digital audio files) have the potential to facilitate communication about palliative care with researchers, policymakers and the public. Some podcasts about palliative care are available; however, this is not reflected in the academic literature.

Worldwide

The study, led by Dr Amara Nwosu, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, involved the development a podcast about palliative care, research and innovation according to internationally agreed quality indicators for medical education podcasts. Additionally, the study includes an analysis of the listenership over a 14 month period to demonstrate the reach and potential impact of the podcast.

The podcasts,were published on SoundCloud and promoted via social media. Overall 20 podcasts were developed which were listened to 3036 times (an average of 217 monthly plays) and listened to in 68 different countries. They were most popular in English-speaking areas, of which the USA, UK and Canada were most common.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal of Supportive & Palliative Care, highlights the potential usefulness for medical organisations to develop podcasts for specific purposes, such as education, lecture capture and research dissemination.

New opportunities

Dr Amara Nwosu, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, said: "Technology is increasingly being integrated into medicine to support new opportunities for the delivery of clinical practice, education and research. A palliative care podcast is a method to facilitate palliative care discussion with global audience. Podcasts offer the potential to develop educational content and promote research dissemination.

"Future work should focus on content development, quality metrics and impact analysis, as this form of digital communication is likely to increase and engage wider society."